Israeli
occupation forces have continued their brutal and immoral
offensive on the Gaza Strip for the 8thconsecutive day, and
have continued the policy of collective punishment in
disregard for the international law and humanitarian law,
which ensure protection for civilians in times of war, and
in violation of the principles of necessity, proportionality
and distinction. Israeli forces have continued their aerial,
ground and sea attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, causing
more civilian casualties and damaging civilian facilities,
including houses and mosques. In disregard for the lives of
children, Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinian children while
they were playing at the beach in Gaza City. At night,
Israeli forces accepted a truce suggested by the United
Nations for 6 hours on Thursday, 17 July 2014. PCHR is
concerned that Israeli forces may attack Palestinian
civilians during this truce, like what happened during
"Operation Cast Lead" (2008-2009).

From 10:00 on
Wednesday, 16 July 2014 to 10:00 on Thursday, 17 July 2014,
26 Palestinians, 21 of whom are civilians including 9
children and 3 women, were killed. Additionally, 119
Palestinians, mostly civilians, were wounded – this number
includes 31 children and 52 women. Israeli warplanes also
targeted and destroyed 26 houses.

The latest developments
since the press release issued by PCHR yesterday noon have
been as follows:

The Northern Gaza
Strip:

Israeli warplanes launched 48 airstrikes
and Israeli tanks and gunboats fired dozens of shells
targeting houses, agricultural plots, open areas and a
mosque. As a result of these attacks, a Palestinian child
and a member of an armed group were killed, and 23 others,
including 9 children and 5 women, were wounded.
Additionally, Israeli warplanes targeted 5 houses and
destroyed 3 of them.

The most significant attacks were as
follows:

- At approximately 16:00 on Wednesday, 16
July 2014, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at Othman
Bin 'Affan Mosque in Be'r al-Na'ja area. As a result,
5-year-old Ra'ed Mohammed Sari was killed, and 3 civilians,
including the child's father, were wounded.

- At
approximately 20:50, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a
4-storey house belonging to the al-Madhoun family in Beit
Lahia. The house was damaged.

- At approximately
21:15, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a house belong to
Mohammed Wirsh Agha in Beit Lahia. The house was completely
destroyed.

- At approximately 23:50, an Israeli
drone fired a missile at a 5-storey house belonging to Fathi
Hammad, former Minister of Interior, in Beit Lahia. The
house was damaged.

- At approximately 00:45 on
Thursday, 17 July 2014, an Israeli drone fired a missile at
a house belonging to 'Omar Hassan al-Far in Jabalya. Soon
after, an Israeli warplanes launched a missile at the house
and destroyed it.

- At approximately 04:20, an
Israeli drone fired a missile at members of a Palestinian
armed groups in al-'Atatra area in Beit Lahia, killing one
of them, Ahmed Rajab Raihan, 23, and wounded 3 others.

-
At approximately 06:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at
a house belonging to Sah'ban Mohammed Dakka in Jabalya. Soon
after, an Israeli warplanes launched a missile at the house
and destroyed it.

Gaza City:

Israeli
warplanes launched 20 airstrikes and Israeli gunboats and
tanks fired shells targeting houses, civilians, agricultural
lands and open areas. As a result of these attacks, 7
Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were killed,
and 45 others, including 8 children and 8 women, were
wounded. Additionally, 9 houses were targeted and 8 of them
and a money exchange shop were destroyed.

The most
significant attacks were as follows:

- At
approximately 11:00 on Wednesday, 16 July 2014, Israeli
drone fired 2 missiles at a 5-storey house belonging to
Rafiq Ismail al-Nu'aizi, in which 40 people live, in
al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. Soon
after, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house
and destroyed it. Before the attack, Israeli forces had
phoned the owner and order evacuation of the house.

-
At approximately 11:30, Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at a
3-storey house belonging to Sa'id Ramadan Haddad, in which
25 people live, in al-Sha'af neighborhood in the east of
Gaza City. Soon after, an Israeli warplane launched a
missile at the house and destroyed it. Before the attack,
Israeli forces had phoned the owner and order evacuation of
the house.

- At approximately 12:30, Israeli drone
fired 2 missiles at a 3-storey house belonging to Jaber Jabr
Jundiya, in which 20 people live, in al-Shuja'iya
neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The house was
extensively damaged.

- At approximately 13:00,
Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at a 4-storey house belonging
to Khaled Mustafa Harara, in which 4 families live, in
al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. Soon
after, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house
and destroyed it.

- At approximately 14:00,
Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at a 3-storey house belonging
to 'Aahed Mohammed Habib, in which 12 people live, in
al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. Soon
after, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house
and destroyed it.

- At approximately 15:00, an
Israeli warplane launched a missile at 'Abdul Rahman Ibrahim
Khalil al-Serji, 37, and his child, 16-year-old 'Omar, who
were on an agricultural plot belonging to the family in
al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southeast of Gaza City. As a
result, the father was killed and the child was seriously
wounded.

- At approximately 16:10, an Israeli
warplane launched a missile at a number of Palestinian
children who were playing at Gaza beach. As a result, 4
children were killed: Zakaria 'Aahed Bakr, 10; Ismail
Mohammed Subhi Bakr, 10; Mohammed Ramez 'Ezzat Bakr, 11; and
'Aahed 'Aattaf 'Aahed Bakr, 10. A fifth child, 8-year-old
Hamada Khamis Bakr, was seriously wounded.

The
children of the Bakr family run away from an Israeli attack
at the beach

The place where the children were
attcked

- At approximately 18:00, an Israeli drone
fired a missile at 3 Palestinian civilians who were sitting
near the debris of a house that had been destroyed by
Israeli warplane in Sheikh 'Ejlin neighborhood in the
southwest of Gaza City. Two civilians were killed: Hussam
Jamal Hassouna Shamallakh, 30; and Mohammed Kamel Mohammed
'Abdul Rahman, 32. The third civilian was wounded.

-
At approximately 00:30 on Thursday, 17 July 2014, an Israeli
drone fired a missile at a house belonging to Maher Saleh
Farawana, in which 17 people live, in Tal al-Hawa
neighborhood in the south of Gaza City. A few minutes
later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house
and destroyed it.

- Also at approximately 00:30, an
Israeli drone fired a missile at a 6-storey house belonging
to Amal Yousef Muhanna, in which 43 people live, in al-Nafaq
Street in Gaza City. A few minutes later, an Israeli
warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed
it.

- At approximately 01:30, an Israeli warplane
launched a missile at a currency exchange shop belonging to
Maher Musbah Abu Ghanima in al-Jalaa' Street in the center
of Gaza City. The shop was destroyed. Abu Ghanima's house
had been also attacked on 15 July 2014.

- At
approximately 03:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a
house belonging to Hamza Subhi al-Yazji, in which 35 people
live, in al-Yarmouk Street in Gaza City. A few minutes
later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house
and destroyed it.

- At approximately 09:30, an
Israeli drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging
to Arafat Mohammed al-Minawi, a university lecturer, in
which 23 people live, in al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in the
east of Gaza City. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane
launched a missile at the house and destroyed it

The Central Gaza Strip:

Israeli
warplanes launched 14 airstrikes targeting houses,
agricultural lands and open areas. As a result of these
attacks, 2 Palestinians, including a civilians, were killed,
and 14 others, including 6 women and 2 children, were
wounded. Six houses and a store were also destroyed.

The
most significant attacks were as follows:

- At
approximately 17:30 on Wednesday, 16 July 2014, an Israeli
drone fired a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to
Shihda 'Abed Rabbu Abu Dahrouj, in which 15 people live, in
al-Zawaida village. A few minutes later, an Israeli
warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed
it.

- At approximately 18:30, an Israeli warplane
launched a missile at a store under a house belonging to
Kamel 'Eid al-Hawajari in al-Nussairat refugee camp. The
store was destroyed.

- At approximately 19:00, an
Israeli drone fired a missile at a house belonging to 'Alaa'
Mahmoud al-Danaf, in which 8 people live, in Deir al-Balah.
A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile
at the house and destroyed it.

- At approximately
19:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at an inhabited
house belonging to Hatem Yousef al-Roubi in al-Boreij
refugee camp. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane
launched a missile at the house and destroyed it.

-
At approximately 19:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at
a 2-storey house belonging to the heirs of Waleed Jaber Abu
Hain, in which 8 people live, in Gaza Valley village. A few
minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the
house and destroyed it.

- At approximately 21:40, an
Israeli drone fired a missiles at members of a Palestinian
armed group in Wadi al-Salqa village, east of Deir al-Balah,
wounding 2 of them. One of them, Mohammed Mahmoud Ibrahim
al-Qaddem, 22, died of his wound later.

- At
approximately 02:00 on Thursday, 17 July 2014, an Israeli
drone fired a missile at a house belonging to Ma'awia
Mahmoud Basheer, in which 8 people live, in Deir al-Balah.
A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile
at the house and destroyed it.

- At approximately
06:00, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a house
belonging to Salem Saleh 'Olayan Fayad in Deir al-Balah. As
a result Fayad was killed, and another two residents of the
house were wounded.

Khan Yunis:

Israeli
warplanes launched 30 airstrikes targeting houses,
agricultural plots and open areas in the southern Gaza Strip
town of Khan Yunis. Israeli tanks and gunboats also fired
dozens of shells at agricultural and open areas. As a
result, 10 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and 3
women, were killed, and 22 others, including 3 children and
6 women, were wounded. Israeli warplanes also targeted 4
houses and destroyed 2 of them. They also bombarded a flat
and damaged it.

The most significant attacks were as
follows:

- At approximately 11:15, Israeli tanks
positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel
fired a number of shells at Abu Tu'aima area in the east of
'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. As a result 2
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded:
Mo'men Mohammed Abu Tu'aima, 30; and Siraj Tariq Abu
Tu'aima, 12.

- At approximately 11:25, Israeli
drones fired 2 missiles at a civilian car that was traveling
in Bani Suhila village, east of Khan Yunis. As a result, 3
civilian passengers were killed: Khadra al-'Aabed Salama Abu
Daqqa, 65; 'Omar Ramdan Hassan Abu Daqqa; and Ibrahim Ramdan
Hassan Abu Daqqa, 10. Additionally, 3 members of the family
who were also traveling in the car were also wounded.
Additionally, 7 passing civilians, including 4 women, were
wounded.

- At approximately 16:25, an Israeli drone
fired a missile at a shed on an agricultural plot in
al-Satar al-Gharbi area in the north of Khan Yunis,
destroying it and wounded 3 Palestinian civilians.

-
At approximately 17:20, an Israeli warplane launched a
missile at a flat belonging to the 'Abdul 'Aati family in
the Austrain neighborhood in the west of Khan Yunis. The
flat was damaged and fired broke out in it.

- At
approximately 17:35, an Israeli warplane launched a missile
at two Palestinians brothers were sitting in the yard of
their house in 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. The
two civilians were killed: Akram and Kamal Mohammed Abu
'Aamer, 32 39 respectively.

- At approximately
18:55, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a number of
Palestinian civilians who were sitting in the year of a
house belonging to Kawthar Hussein al-Astal, 58, in
al-Katiba neighborhood in Khan Yunis. As a result, she and
3 of her relatives, including 2 children, were killed:
Ussama and Yasmeen Mahmoud Hussein al-Atal, 8 and 4
respectively; and Hussein 'Abdul Nasser Hussein al-Astal,
23.

- At approximately 20:45, an Israeli drone fired
a missile at a house belonging to te al-Hajj family in Khan
Yunis refugee camp. About 15 minutes later, an Israeli
warplane launched a missile at a nearby 3-storey house
belonging to Su'ad 'Ali al-Zayani, in which 21 people live,
and destroyed it.

- At approximately 22:30, Israeli
drones fired 2 missiles at a 3-storey house belonging to the
sons of Kamel Sleem al-Saqqa, and a house belonging to their
mother, Zainab Sa'id Mohammed al-'Abadla, 73. As a result,
the woman was seriously wounded. She died of her wound on
the following day morning.

- At approximately 22:00,
Israeli drones fired a 2 missiles at a house belonging to
Fu'ad Furaij Abu Ma'rouf in Jourat al-Lout area in the south
of Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane
fired a missile at the house, damaging it extensively.

-
At approximately 22:50, an Israeli warplane launched a
missile at the vicinity of al-Iman Mosque in Bani Suhaila
village, east of Khan Yunis. The mosque was damaged, but no
casualties were reported.

- At approximately 01:15
on Thursday, 17 July 2014, Israeli tanks positioned at the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired a number of
shells at Palestinian communities in the east of Khan Yunis.
As a result, a water tank, agricultural plots, a minaret and
a mosque were damaged, and 3 Palestinian civilians were
wounded.

- Also at approximately 01:15, Israeli
gunboats shelled Khan Yunis beach. No casualties were
reported.

- At approximately 05:30,
Israeli drones fired 2 missiles at a house belonging to Qais
'Adnan al-'Assar in al-Manara neighborhood in the south of
Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane
launched a missile at the house and
destroyed.

Rafah:

Israeli warplanes
launched 35 airstrikes targeting houses, agricultural lands
and open areas in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. As
a result, 5 Palestinians, including 2 civilians, were
killed, and 15 others, including 5 children and 4 women,
were wounded. Two houses were destroyed.

The most
significant attacks were as follows:

- At
approximately 19:10 on Wednesday, 16 July 2014, an Israeli
drone fired a missile at a house belonging to Ahmed Najem
al-Masri, in which 7 people live, near Saladin Date in the
south of Rafah without a prior warning. Twenty minutes
later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house
and destroyed it. A number of nearby houses were
damaged.

- At approximately 21:15, an Israeli drone
fired a missile at a motorbike in Musabbeh neighborhood in
the north of Rafah. As a result, Mohammed 'Abdul Hadi
al-Masri, 27, a nurse, who was riding the motorbike was
seriously wounded.

- At approximately 01:00 on
Thursday, 17 July 2014, an Israeli drone fired a missile at
a house belonging to 'Aadel 'Abdul Hamid al-'Attar, in which
11 people live, in Yebna refugee camp in the south of Rafah.
A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile
at the house and destroyed it. Before the attack, Israeli
forces phoned a neighbor ordering evacuation of the house.

- At approximately 04:20, an Israeli drone fired a
missile at a number of Palestinian civilians who were on
their way to a mosque in al-Junaina neighborhood in Rafah
for the Dawn Prayer. As a result, Mohammed 'Abdul Rahman
Hassouna, 70, was killed, and Mohammed Ahmed al-Hout, 35,
was seriously wounded. He died a few hours later.

-
At approximately 09:30, Israeli drones fired 2 missiles at 3
members of a Palestinian armed group in al-Nasser village,
north of Rafah, killing them instantly: Mohammed Nabil
Ghanem, 27; 'Abdullah Salem al-Akhras, 30; and Basheer
Mohammed 'Abdul 'Aal, 19.

1) Warns of deterioration of the
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in light of this
continuous Israeli military escalation, threats to expand
military operations, and the continued tightened closure of
the Gaza Strip;

2) Calls upon the international
community to act immediately to stop these crimes, and
renews the call to the High Contracting Parties of the
Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligation under
Article 1 of the Convention to ensure that it is respected
at all times, and their responsibilities under Article 146
to pursue perpetrators of serious violations of the
Convention, which are determined in Article 147, which lists
violations of the Convention amounting to war crimes;
and

3) Calls for establishing a UN fact-finding mission
to investigate suspected war crimes committed by Israeli
forces against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, and
take necessary steps to prosecute responsible for them.

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